My friend Phil Jache’s is very close to the Appalachian Trail. I went to his house for Thanksgiving this past November, and we hiked a couple of small segments. Hiking through the forest is relaxing and energizing.

Phil, Anne, Kathy, and myself

The flora and fauna on the trail are amazing. I could probably spend hour just documenting an area of land less than ten square feet.

The trail winds up and down mountains of all sizes, from hills to high peaks. It also dips into valleys and wetlands. Across many of the swamps, people have build walkways across the mud and water. Since it was November, this land was semi-firm mud.

Hiking trails are marked with blazes at irregular intervals attached to features like trees and rocks. The Appalachian trail is uses one white paint blaze most of the time. When the trail turns, you will sometimes see two blazes pointing the way.

If you walk the trail quickly, you sometimes miss odd features. I found the skull just to the side of the path.

The views from the peaks can be fairly spectacular, even if they aren’t actually that high. The second photo is a self-portrait. It was back-lit, and it wasn’t possible to get a perfect exposure on my small camera.

Anne, Phil, and I hiked two sections of the trail, while Kathy left after one. The trail goes by a lot of houses; a man was walking dogs along the trail.

A video of one minute of the hike.

If you live on the East coast, it’s definitely worth taking a day trip along the Appalachian Trail. And it’s arguably a good reason to visit the East coast.